(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. Armenia is
deliberately discharging mining wastewater into the Okhchuchay
river, Faig Mutallimov from the Ministry of Ecology and Natural
Resources of Azerbaijan told Trend .
He claimed that the Armenian Occupation had burned about 100,000
hectares of forest in Azerbaijani territory.
He highlighted the plundering of underground natural resources
and mineral deposits without any consideration for environmental
regulations.
"There are environmental standards for the exploitation of all
natural resources, which help reduce environmental impact and
ensure the sustainable use of these resources. However, when these
standards are not followed, the depletion of resources occurs,
leading to serious environmental consequences," the official
emphasized.
Mutallimov also claimed that the occupation had resulted in the
looting of protected areas and other natural resources.
"The water resources are polluted. Even during the occupation,
the Sarsang reservoir's water management regime created irrigation
challenges for unoccupied villages and settlements. This led to
severe droughts in the summer, agricultural challenges, soil
degradation, and floods during the winter months," he
highlighted.
The official then stated that they had appealed to the Armenian
side and passed a resolution to forbid the use of water resources
for political purposes.
International treaties and standards generally regulate the
prevention of such mass and deliberate environmental
destruction.
There are conventions for protecting water resources. The
Okhchuchay river's pollution serves as an example, but regrettably,
our water resources remained contaminated even after the
occupation.
Despite calls and statements on various platforms, the Armenian
side is deliberately discharging mining wastewater into the
Okhchuchay river, exacerbating environmental pollution in the area.
The restoration will take considerable time," he added.
The Okchuchay river that goes through Armenia's land joins the
Araz river. The Armenian copper-molybdenum factory and gold mine
dumped their waste into these rivers. As a result, the land and
water in the area are very dirty and unsafe. The Araz river crosses
many countries, so it is also hurting the environment in
Azerbaijan.
Armenia's pollution of the Araz river has been a long-standing
issue that has attracted international attention and intervention.
As a signatory to the Espoo Convention on Environmental Impact
Assessment in a Transboundary Context, the European Union
dispatched an observer mission to monitor the situation in
Arazdayan, where Armenia and the US were building a large
metallurgical plant near the border with Azerbaijan. Expected to
produce 180,000 tons of copper and molybdenum products annually,
the plant also posed a serious threat to the environment and health
of millions of people in the region.
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